"Don't tell me what to do!" Jesus could have come riding in on a war horse, in a chariot, driving a tank—guns blazing and mowing down anyone who tried to stop Him with flame throwers. Could have had an army of angels clear the path. But He came in humility to bring peace. We need to be doing the same thing.
Read MoreDid Jesus actually say about the Gospel, "Use it or lose it!" What are the "minas?" Is this parable the same as the parable of the Talents? (It's not) It's also not about money. The Gospel in this parable is so unfair it's not funny. (But that's not to say nothing is funny.)
You can’t earn salvation. Jesus earned it for you. But you can try to live up to it. God’s name is holy, and He puts His name on you. You can’t earn it, but you can try to keep His name holy now that it’s on you. It’s about being someone people can count on. About being someone who does what's right, even when it's hard. God has put His holy name on you. Now what? How are you going to keep it holy? How are you going to live up to it?
There are a lot of things we think we understand before we actually experience them, then we find out we had no idea. How many things have you heard over and over but they never sank in? Important things—like the Gospel. You might want to share this one with someone who needs to hear the Gospel, someone who is struggling to believe. This is the Gospel according to Jesus.
Read MoreSometimes, if we want to live, we have to give up something that’s killing us. We’ll almost never want to do it. Jesus says this is why it's impossible for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. Everything we have must be put under His Lordship. Every single thing. The question is always: Lord, what do You want me to do with this all this stuff You’ve given me? He will tell you. But you probably won’t like His answer—not at first. The things you possess will try to possess you. There is good news for rich people but you'll have to listen to what Jesus says to hear it.
1. Receive the kingdom of God like a child or you won't receive it.
2. Does that mean trying really hard to be like a child? Haha. (No.)
3. Church is not optional.
4. Jesus shared His Father with us.
What more do you want?
The Pharisee and The Tax Collector like you've never heard it. A pretty good case can be made they went to the temple to pray on The Day of Atonement—which changes everything you thought you knew about this parable. Also, what's the deal with the rainbow text? (You might be surprised.)
Read MoreJesus teaches how to pray for what you want and never lose heart. Seems like an important thing to pay attention to. What if God isn't going to do anything until you ask? In this teaching, Pastor Frank gives at least 17 important clues on how to pray so God will answer you. Don't bother listening.
The Apocalypse of Jesus. When will the kingdom of God come? Where will the kingdom of God be? What about The Rapture? Hmmm In the end, the only thing we will have is whatever we have given to God for safekeeping.
Read MoreMost people aren't familiar with the story of Jesus and the Ten Leopards. One of His rare recorded incidents with wildlife. No. Ten Lepers. Very different thing. Here are some ideas this sermon will cover: 1. The shortest path was never a straight line. Going straight toward Jesus is a long and winding road. Every time. 2. Doing things you don't want to do is how to get to do the things you really want to do. 3. The story of how Kemper Crabb and Frank Hart became friends. 4. Your sin is more gross than a leper's ginger root nub of fingers. 5. Your faith in Jesus will heal you. Eventually. Keep walking in the direction He tells you to go.
Pastor Frank applies ten verses to Mom in practical ways for Mother's Day but don't let that fool you—this is strong medicine for all of us.
Read MoreMost people say they believe in some kind of afterlife. People of faith, as well as scientists who are only looking at physical evidence. So what happens after we die? What did Jesus Himself actually say about heaven and hell? This is a story about a rich man and a poor man who both die—Jesus gives us a lot to think about here. If you listen, and believe what He's saying, it could have eternal ramifications.
Read MoreYou should force yourself to read to this one. People often try to deceive others and hide their true actions, but when the truth is exposed, it can cause anger and outrage. This can be seen in various situations, such as social media personalities promoting products they have never used, politicians going against their campaign promises, athletes cheating with performance-enhancing drugs, preachers committing the sins they preach against, and individuals putting on a show of devoutness while making everyone miserable at home. The truth can expose insecurities and self-delusion, leading to anger and frustration. God's Law defines sin and guides us on how to live our lives, but we all fall short and make mistakes, which is called sin. It is a fatal error that cannot be ignored or excused. However, through the Gospel, Jesus forgives our sins and justifies us before God, defining us by who we are in Christ, rather than by our failures or successes. The Law shows us the standard, and the Gospel offers forgiveness and salvation.
Read MoreUse your money to make friends, not your friends to make money. What if in order to get into heaven, you have to be welcomed by someone who you told Jesus canceled their debt? This is the weirdest story Jesus ever told.
Read MoreWhat would happen if we applied the same standard to the resurrection of Jesus that we apply to other historical stories? Folklore. Myth. How do you think it would hold up? Do you think we’d find any real evidence? Or do you think it’s all just going to come down to faith? That we can’t really be sure about it? In this sermon, Pastor Frank will attempt to give you a bit more confidence in the claims Jesus made about Himself and the historical evidence of His resurrection. If Jesus Christ rose from the dead then nothing else matters. If He didn’t, then nothing matters.
Read MoreThis is a story about two lost sons. Which one do you relate to the most? I think we all start off as the prodigal son. We make a mess of our lives (“Reckless living.” “extravagant.” Wasteful with everything God gave us.) then we come back to the Father, and find out how merciful and forgiving He is with us—He takes us back no matter what we’ve done and we just stand in His presence interrupted by grace, thankful for His kindness and generosity. Fully restored. But then, after just a short time, too many of us become like the older brother. Disown your heavenly Father at your own risk. Raise your fist to heaven and say, “I’m sick of You, I’m sick of Your church, I’m sick of your rules, I’m sick of waiting to die before I can have all those good things You’ve promised me in heaven!” If you live like there is no God, ignore His wisdom, selfishly grasp for wealth and pleasure recklessly—find out where that gets you. Well, our prodigal punk had sunk as low as he was going to go. He came to himself—came to his senses. This is his story and it directly affects all of us. You will be interrupted by grace.
If God filled up your church with people who looked like nasty sinners to you—the wrong kind of people—who would those people be? What do they look like? We always seem to think “repent” is something we have to do in order for Jesus to save us. I want to challenge that a little. What did the sheep do to repent? Nothing. What did the coin do to repent? Coins can't do much. The church has done a terrific job of letting the lost know they aren’t really welcome. Not until they repent. Not until they’re where they should be. Not until they change. Not until they find their own way out of the lake. That’s not how grace works. Grace jumps in and pulls you out of the water.
Read MoreI have a love/hate relationship with Jesus. That probably sounds wrong but I think it’ll make sense after you listen to this message. Jesus says in this passage of Luke that we must have a love/hate relationship with everything in the world. We must hate everything we love. Hate. This wouldn’t have sounded any friendlier to them than it does to us.
Read MoreHow should Christians feel about parties? Jesus teaches us about the importance of humility, generosity, and not making everything about ourselves. He reminds us that true joy is not found when we selfishly grasp for pleasure but by our willingness to serve others and honor God. A humble party rather than a pity party. How should Christians feel about parties? Should we go to parties? Jesus uses a humble party to teach us about the kingdom of heaven.
Read MoreWhat role has been assigned for you to play in the story of your life? In this blog post, you may discover a way to look at your story that will change your life forever. This is the central point of Luke's travel narrative. Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem and nothing is going to stop Him from fulfilling His destiny.
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